Mankind is using up energy resources of mother earth in a way no other animal has ever done. The largest contributions to current energy sources in the world come from oil (31%), coal (26%) and natural gas (19%). At the present rate of consumption, oil reserves will last for 40 years, gas reserves will last for 60 years, coal reserves will last for 125 years and uranium reserves will last for 1000 years.
India has 17% of the world’s population, but only about 0.8% of the world’s known oil and natural gas sources. Our per capita coal reserves are much below Russia, USA and China. Based on the progress visualized for the nation during the next two decades, the power generating capacity has to increase to 4, 00, 000 MW by the year 2030 from the current 1,30, 000 MW in India. This takes into consideration of energy economics planned and the design and production of energy efficient equipments and systems. New and emerging technologies like hydrogen energy, fuel cells, biofuels, electric & hybrid electric vehicles, geo-thermal energy and tidal energy hold major promise for mitigating the energy crisis in the country, especially for power generation and transportation as such to achieve energy independence. These are renewable and do not get depleted with use like fossil fuels. Innovation in technology, development and applications has to drive the renewable energy (Green Power) marketplace.
Over 1.64 billion people world across lack access to electricity. For those people, who cannot be provided with electricity by extending the grid their hope rests in innovation and as such the emerging technologies? Presently installed generation capacity of renewable energy is 13,730 MW from various sources which is approximately 8% of total installed capacity in the country and contributing to around 3% of total national electricity generation. The stupendous growth stimulates enhanced energy requirements.
The Government of India set an example as one of the few countries that created independent Ministry for renewable energy, the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) in the early 1980s. In line with the Central Government Policy renewable energy development agencies in state level are also created. As a follow-up action on the “Comprehensive Policy on Renewable Energy” announced by the government of Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Pune have included the subject non-conventional energy sources in the syllabus of Std IX to Std XII.
An effective and far reaching awareness campaign about renewable energy is being organized to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi as “Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas “ (RGAUD) on 20th August every year since 2004 all over the country. Public awareness programmes are organized on this day at the National, State and district levels through mass rallies, organizing essay, quiz, slogan writing and painting competitions and also debates, seminars and group discussions etc. on renewable energy. Children of several schools participate in these activities throughout the country. The objective of these activities is to create awareness on the use of new and renewable energy sources and their applications in daily life. The first national level function of RGAUD was organized at New Delhi in 2004. On this occasion a commemorative stamp was released by the then Prime Minister.
Today, India has an installed capacity of 15,542 MW of grid connected renewable contributing 3.5% of electricity generated in the country. National Solar Mission established in November 2009 began the mainstreaming of renewable in India.
Editor's Note: Article kindly provided by Dr Manas Ranjan Senapati, Professor & HOD Chemistry at the NM Institute of Engineering & Technology in Bhubaneswar, India.
For additional information:
Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy
____________________________________________________________________
